Hat-shaping machine.



` s. K. DAI/IES.

HATv SHAPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILI-:D SEPT. I5. I9I5.

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S. K. DAVIES.

HAT sHAP|NG MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT- 15. l9l5.

S. K. DAVIES.

HAT SHAPING MACHINE.

, `APPLICATION HLED sEPT.15. 1915.4

1,201,266. I Patented 001121916.

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S. K. DAVIES.

K HAT SHAPING MACHINL APPucAT|oN-r|LED SEPT. 1a. lass. l 201 266.Patented Oct. 17,1916.

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S. K.v DAVIES.

HAT SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION min SEPT. 15. 191,5.

Patented m1751916.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

SAMUEL K. DAvIEs, or. NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, AssI'GNoR To LEE E. ACI-LorCINCINNATI, oHIo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1916.

Application led September 15, 1915. Serial No. 50,768.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL K. DAvIEs, acitizen of the United States,V residing at Newport, in the county ofCampbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Hat-Shaping Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of my invention to provide a new and improved machinefor shap-l ing hats, especially bulged portions of hats.

Machines of this character as heretofore usually employed comprised apair of solid molds one received about the other, -the material to beshaped being pressed between the molds, each of the molds being heatedand the material being dampened before application of the molds thereto,the material remaining between the solid molds until substantially dryand set to shape. In practice under employment of these means, pressurewas applied throughout a substantial p0rtion of the surface of thematerial,` andthe molds, when being set, also exerted sliding pressureor ironing upon the' surface of the material, whereby the nap of themateriah for instance velvet, was crushed, and operations weresubsequently necessary to attempt to restore the nap, which, in practicewas expensive and very oftenv impossible owing to the pressure and heatpreviously applied to the material; furthermore a large waste ofmaterial resulted from the necessity of having material in suflicientlylarge pieces to permit the stretching of the material by hand over thelower mold, so that the solid upper mold could be received thereaboutwhile the .material was being held in stretched relation by the manualstretching.

It is the object of my invention to avoid the objections stated, and toprovide means whereby the upper or outer mold. may be dispensed with,and the cost of forming the same and the metal of the moldconsequentlysaved; further to provide a mold about which the material is arranged tobe stretched; further to provide aflexible tension-member to be receivedabout the mold for maintaining the material in stretched relation andfixing the material to the shape of the mold; and, further to providemeans whereby the shaping and drying of the material is accelerated.

It is the object of my invention further to provide a flexibletension-member movable with relation to the mold for arranging theflexible tension-member in coperative po sition with relation to themold about the material to be shaped, and to stretch the same about saidmaterial; further to provide adjusting means whereby the location of thetension-member about the mold may be adjusted, and, further, to insureready release of said material by the Atension-meinber; further to mountthe tension-member upon a movable frame movable toward and from theposition of the mold, and to provide means for stretching thetension-member in operative position; further to so relate thepositioning and stretching meansk as to insure release of the stretchingmeans from the material prior to moving-the tensionwmeans from the mold,and the invention will be further readily understood from the following.description andl claims, and from theA drawings, in which latter Figure1 represents a front elevation of my improved device. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved device. Fig. 5is a horizontal cross-section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 isa horizontal cross-section of the same taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.Fig. 7 is a hori- Zontal cross-section of the same taken on the line 7 7of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detail view in cross-section on the line 8 8 ofFig. 1. Fig. 9 is adetail view in vertical cross-section taken on theline 3 3 of Fig. 1, show" ing the positioning lever in down position andthe pulling lever in up position. Fig. l0 is aside elevation showing aldetail of the left side of the positioning lever. Fig. 11 is a detailview of one of the arms for the flexible tension-member, partly insection on the line 11 11 of Fig. 5.l Fig. 12 is a detail i view insection on the line12 12 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 13 is a .detail view insection on the line V13 13 of Fig. 1.2.

21 represents the main frame of the machine, with relation to which a.slide-frame 22 is movable. The slide-frame, in the presentexemplification, comprises upright rods 23 connected at their upper endsby a cross-piece 24 and at their lower ends by a cross-girt 25, the rodssliding in bearings 26 in the main frame. The cross-piece 24 wasarranged in machines as heretofore employed to have an upper solid mold,coacting with the lower mold herein shown, suspended therefrom bysuitable clamps in slots 27.

A head 30, shown in the form of a plate or spider, is located at the topportion of the sliding frame and is adjustable thereon by means of thenuts 3l, 32, adjustable lengthwise of the threaded ends 33 of the rods23, for adjusting the head lengthwise of said rods and clamping saidhead in adjusted positions, the upper cross-piece 24, in the presentexemplilication, being adjustable with the head.

The main frame is provided with a table 35 having a socket 36 in whichthe stem 37 of a pedestal 38 is secured, a lower mold 39 being clampedto the pedestal by means of the hook-clamps 40. The mold may be of anydesired shape or size, depending on the shape or size it is desired togive the crown or bulged portion -of the hat or hat-part to be shaped.By means of my improved device the material is arranged to be shapedupon the mold for forming a bulging portion of the hat or hat-part, andintricate contours may be shaped. have shown the mold about which theshaping is to be accomplished as having a crown whose lower end iscurved and extends different distances lengthwise of the axis of thehat-crown at different portions about the periphery of the crown. Thesame mold may, however, be used in my improved device for shaping crownswhose sides are of equal height throughout the periphery of the crownand to shape crowns of various heights upon the mold merely by adjustingthe position of the tension-member or the directions in which itextends.

For accomplishing my purpose I employ a flexible tension-member, shownat 46, re ceived about the mold at a point corresponding to the bottomofl the crown or bulged portion to be formed. This tension-meinber maybe instanced as being a wire-cable, and is arranged to be placed inposition about the mold, and when in such position to be drawn tautabout the mold at the location representing the bottom of the crown orbulged part for firmly holding the material in stretched relation aboutthe mold. The mold is arranged to be heated, as by gas through themedium of gas-jets supplied from suitable openings in a ring-pipe 47 fedby a pipe 48 leading to a suitable point and provided with a valve 49.

In the present exemplication, the tension-member is arranged to besupported in position to be received about the mold by rods 51, whichare normally held in such position that the tension-member when receivedabout the mold is distanced from the mold, being preferablyspring-pressed laterally to a position away from said mold,accomplished, in the present instance by forming said rods of springmaterial, so as to constitute said rods spring-rods. The tensionmeinberis shown supported by the rods by means of clips 52 secured to the freeends of the rods, as by means of screws 53, the clips' having aspring-tongue 54 under which the tension-member is received. The clip isoi thin material and quite narrow, so as to afford as smooth a surfaceas possible through1 out the path of the tension-member about thtI1uold. The closed path of the tension-ineinher is exemplified at 55,from which theI `stretches 56 thereof extendv in opposite directionstoward the sides of the machine, the tension-member at the inner ends ofsaid stretches crossing each other in the clip, as indicated in Fig. 3.The tension-member is drawn taut about the mold by suitable means,exempliiied as extensions of said tension-member, although other meansmay be employed. It is to be understood that the term, flexibletension-member, wherever cmployed does not include such drawing orpulling means. The extensions of the tension-member are exemplified asstretches 5G continued over pulleys 57 as stretches 58 which arecontinued over pulleys 59 as stretches 60 which are continued overpulleys Gl as stretches 62 received about a pulley 63 acting as anequalizer pulley and arranged to be pulled for applying tension to thetensionmember. Y

The head 30 is provided with slots 71 shown as radiating slots, in whichthe rods 51 are adjustable lengthwise of said slot, the rods being alsoadjustable crosswise of the plate, or axially, as by having threadedportions 72 over which nuts 73, 74, are received for determining thenormal positions of said rods lengthwise thereof with relation to themold and for clamping the rods in the slots in adjusted positions toconform to the shape of the mold. The rods are thus positioned oradjusted to conform to the diameters of the shape of the mold andheights of the various portions of the sides of the mold, or at equalelevations, depending on the shape of the crown or hat-part to beformed, but so arranged as to be normally spaced from the wall of themold when the tension-member is in position about the mold for beingpulled taut for shaping the material.

In my improved device, motion is imparted between the tension-member andthe mold so as to cause the tension-member to surround the mold,accomplished in the present exempliication by depressing thetension-member.

The material to be stretched may be any desiredV fabric, for instance,buckram, velvet, or any other fabric to form a hat-part having abulgetherein. The material is dampened prior to being shaped. `A usualmaterial employed is buckramette, which ite ` has been provided with astiffening and gluing substance and dampened and having a' piece ofvelvet undampened laid thereon, the two superposed materials beingplaced about the crown of themold and then pulled downwardly over themold by the operators, two operators usually serving the machine, andboth operators vtaking the superposed materials by means of their handsand pulling the same over the mold. By means of my improved device thematerial may be so cut as to leave only sufiicient material in the piecebeing shaped as to afford a grip thereon by the hands of the operatorsbeyond the line at which the tension-member is to be stretched aboutthematerial, represented in the present exemplification as the line 75. Thespace occupied by the tension- -member which would interfere with thehands of the operators, is comparatively small and the waste of materialis therefore very slight.

In the usual devices now employed for pressing the hat material toshape, the solid mold received about the mold represented at 39 isnecessarily of thick metal so as to retain the heat, and in practiceextended to the line 76, so that the operators in stretching thematerial necessarily had to hold the material at points beyond said line7 6, necessitating the use of larger pieces of material, it beingnecessary after the shaping was accomplished to cut away all thematerial beyond the line 75, making the old methods extremely wastefulof material, which is saved by my improved device. By employment of saidusual devices, furthermore, the mold received about the mold 39approached the mold 39 in a line parallel to the axis vof the mold,causing a seating of the mold upon the material with a movementsubstantially parallel to the line of the side of the crown, causing asliding of the heated upper' solid mold upon said side of the materialwith an ironing motion, whereby the nap of the material was crushed andVdestroyed, the restoration of this nap being very expensive and veryoften impossible, which objections are avoided by my improved device, inwhich the tension-member is first moved toward the mold 39 in a lineparallel to the axis of said mold, but distanced from said mold, thepulling of said tension-member taut about the mold being accomplishedafter said tensionmember has been seated in lateral position, so thatthe nap of the material is retained, except at the narrow line ofcontact of the tension-member with the material, which in practice isadjacent to the seam-line of the hat and is unexposed in the finishedhat.

Means employed for depressing the sliding frame are exemplified as atreadle 81 pivoted on a tie-rod S2 between the sideframes 83, 811, ofthe main frame.

S5, 80, area pair of pendant rods, supported at their lower ends fromthev sideframe by means of aI fork-piece 87. Notches 88, acting askeepers, are located at the lower ends of the pendant rods for receivingthe treadle S1 when the latter is depressed for holding the same indepressed position, thereby depressing the iiexible tension-member andlocating the same about the mold 39. A link is pivoted about a pin 91articulated with the treadle 81 and has a bearing 92 about an eccentric93 on a rock-shaft 91 journaled in bearings 95,

A96, in the slide-frame, and having an operating arm 97 secured thereto.An additional depression may Vbe given the slidefra-ine by the forwardmovement of the arm 97, if such is desired.

For normally causing raising movement of the slide-frame, I provide arocker-frame 101 pivoted in bearings 102 in the sideframes of the mainframe and provided with arms 103. Links 104 are articulated with saidarms at 105 and with lugs 10G of the slide-frame. A rod 107 is mountedin bearings 108 in the arms 103 and in a bearing 109 in an arm 110,integral with the rockerframe. Counterbalance springs 111 extend betweenthe rod 107 and the table 35, the tension of the springsbeing adjustedby bolts 112 extending through the table and held thereto by the headsof the bolts and threaded in blocks 113 about which the upper ends ofthesprings are coiled.

Means are provided for adjusting the positions of the operating partsreceiving the stretches extending directly from the flexibletension-meinber, according to the adjustments of said flexibletension-member, so that said stretches may be located in substantiallythe plane of said tension-member, accomplished by adjusting thepositions of the axes aboutawhich said stretches move, exemplified fasthe axes of rotation of the pulleys 57, sliown as shoulder-bolts1211eceived through the pulleys and through pulley-housings 122, thebolts passing thro-ugh slots 123 in slides 124' and clampnuts 125,whereby the pulley-housings and pulleys 59 are located in adjustedpositions. Each of the slides 12-l'has a slide-member 126 adjustable ina` guide 127 and arranged to be clamped in adjusted positions by meansof bolts 128 passing through apertures in said guide and through a slot129 in said slide, and'threaded into a clamp-plate 130 clamped againstthe inner face of said slide. r1`he guides are shown as extendingrearwardly, the rear ends of said guides being connected and held inspaced-apart relations by means of a tie-rod 133 passing throughbearings 13sI in said guides, nuts 135, 136, at the respective sidesofsaid bearings clamping said bearings and tie-rods together. A combinedstructure is thus formed for the positioning of the bolts 121,adjustable lengthwise of the sliding frame by means of clamp-bearings187 clamped in adjusted po-n sitions by means of bolts 138 about therods 28. The lower directing members for the operating means for theflexible tensionmember, exemplified as the pulleys 59, 61, also havetheir pivotal axes arranged to move with the slide-frame, foraccomplishing which the pivotal axes are shown as shoulder-bolts 140passing through said pulleys and the ho-usings 141, 142, thereabout,

being threaded into a tie-rod 148 lixed in bearings 144 of hangers 145extending forwardly from the upright rods 23 and clamped to the latterby means of clampbearings 146 clamped by clamp-bolts 147.

The pulley 68, exemplified as an equalizer pulley, has the stretches 62passing thereabout and is pivoted in a housing 151. A lever 152,exemplified as a treadle, is provided for exerting pull upon thefiexible tension-member. It is pivoted by a bearing 158 about thearticulating pin 91. It is exemplified as connected with the housing 151by means of a wire cable 154 between which and the housing 151 a spring155 is interposed. The cable is wound about a drum 156 mounted on thetreadle 152, being journaled on a pin 157 in a bearing 158 in saidtreadle and a bearing 159 in a bracket 160 extending from the treadle,the drum being provided with a flange 161 provided with holes 162 forreceiving a Spanner-wrench for winding the drum and with a ratchet-wheel163 with which a ratchet-tooth 164 coacts, the ratchetetooth beingpivoted on a pin 165 fixed in the treadle 152 by means of a set bolt166.

In operation, after the material has been manually stretched about themold, as hereinbefore described, the treadle 81 is depressed fordepressing the flexible tensionmember, thereby positioning the flexibletension-member laterally witli relation to the mold. The tension-memberis then pulled by operation of the treadle 152 about the material heldin stretched relation about vthe mold for maintaining the material in-ing from the drying action of' the heated mold upon the material, isreadily diffused away from the material, whereby the time of drying ofthe material is materially shortened. When the material is dry, the

l tension-member is released. It is desirable that the release of thetension-member shall be insured in such manner as to avoid a movement ofthe tension-member along the face of the material while contacting thematerial. 1 accomplish this by providing retaining means for the treadle152 which shall be released by actuation of the treadle 81, so as toinsure a release of the tensionmember and spreading of the rods 51 priorto the raising of the tension-member with relation to the mold. rlhusthe pin 165 is extended so as to coact with a keeper 171 on the treadle81. The keeper is mounted on an arm 172 pivoted on a bolt 173 in ahousing 174, clamped to the lever 81 I means of a strap 175 and bolts176. The keeper is held in normal coacting position with relation to thepin 165 by means of a spring 181 extending between the housing 174 andthe arm 172. An auxiliary treadle 182 is pivoted to thehousing 174 on apin 188 and a lug 184 thereon is adapted to engage the heel 185 of thearm 172 for moving the keeper 171 out of range with the pin 165. Theoperator places his foot upon the auxiliary treadle 182 extending abovethe treadle 81 and thereby depresses the treadle 81 for depressing theflexible tension-member and slide-frame and the parts mounted thereon,bringing the treadle 81 into the 9 keeper 88 for positioning saidtreadle in depressed position. The depression of the treadle 81depresses the pivotal point of the lever 152. The elevation of the lever152 with relation to the lever 81 is determined by the winding orunwinding of the drum 156. The operator then depresses the treadle 152,the pin 165 thereon striking the latch face 186 of the keeper 171 andbeing received under the keeper 171, the spring 181 causing the movementof said keeper over the pin. After sufficient time has elapsed fordrying the material upon the. form, the operator places his foot on theauxiliary treadle 182, thereby releasing the keeper 171 and causing thetreadle 152 to rise, owing to the spread of the spring-arms 51, therebyspreading the flexible tension-member away from the material about themold. Upon disengagement of the lever 81 from its keeper 88, the lever81 is permitted to rise, due to the action of the counterbalance springs1112 for raising the slide-frame of the machine. The shaped material maythen be removed from the mold and trimmed, little trimming, however,being necessary yand waste of material being reduced to the minimum inmy improved device, owing to the fact that the operator in stretchingthe material can grip the material close to the flexible tension-member.My improved device has the further advantage that, after the engagementof the flexible tension-member with the material, the operator mayre-arrange the material under by t.

v adapted, replacing the upper'solid mold of the tension-member by localstretching at between said tension-member and said mold,

points thereof, so as to insure any degree of stretching that may bedesired locally, or to l control the shape of the stretching as may bedesired, the operator having the whole of the materialin full view.

a My improved device is so -arranged tha the tensionmember and itssupporting and operating parts may be attached to any de sign Vofstamper hat press to which it is the same, avoiding the disadvantages ofsaid upper mold and saving the gas con sumption necessary to heat theupper mold and providing a better' finished article.

Having thus fully described my-invention what I claim as new andv desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

l l. In a hat shaping machine, the combinai'.

tion with a mold, of a flexible tension-member arranged to be receivedabout said mold means for causing movement between said tension-memberand mold axially of said mold during operation of the machine forcausing said tension-member to be received about said moldV or to bedist-anced there from, and means for drawing said tension member tautabout said mold.

2. In a hat shaping machine, the combina tion .with a mold, of aflexible tension-mem ber, means for causing movement between saidtension-member and said mold axially of said mold during operation oflthe ma chine for causing positioning of said ten-, sion-member in or outof the lateral proj ec Y tion of said mold, and means for causing; saidtension member to be drawn taut aboutA said mold. ya

for said last-named treadle, said first-named 3. In a hat shapingmachine, the combination with a mold, of a flexible tension-member,means for adjusting the normal relation between said tension-member andsaid mold, means for causing movement between said tension-member andsaid mold axially of said mold during operation ofthe machine to bringsaid tension-member and said mold within range and out of range of oneanother, and means for drawing said tensionmember taut about said mold.

el. In a hat shaping machine, the combination with a mold, of a flexibletension-member, means for adjusting the normal relation between saidtension-member and said mold,

means for causing movement between said means for causing movementbetween said tension-member and saidl mold axially of said mold duringoperation of the machine within range and out of range of onev another,means for positioning said tensionmember laterally separated relationfrom and about said mold, means for adjusting meansflaterallyvwithrelationl to said mold, and means for drawing said tension-mem-vbertautabout said mold. Y

6, In a hat shaping machine, the combination with a mold, of a flexibletension-member, means for resiliently supporting said tension-memberwith relation to said mold, means comprising a treadle for causingmovement between said tension-member and said mold to bring saidtension-member and said mold within range and out of range of oneanother, a latch for said treadle, means comprising a treadle fordrawing said tension-member taut about said mold, and a latch for saidlast-named treadle, said lastnamed treadle having operative connectionwith said first-named treadle.

` 7. In a hat shaping machine, the combination with a mold, of aflexible tension-memloer, means for resiliently supportingsaidtension-member with relation to said mold, means comprising a treadlefor causing movement between said tension-member and said mold to bringsaid tension-member and mold within range and out of range of oneanother, a latch for said treadle, means comprising a treadle fordrawing said tensionmember taut about said mold, and a latch treadlecomprising a releasing member for said last-named latch.

frame, rods supportedthereby, a flexible" tension-member supported bysaid rods, operating means for said tension-member comprising directingparts mounted on said slide-frame, said tension-member being normallyseparated in the direction of movement of said slide-frame from saidmold, means for simultaneously moving said slidefra-me, tension-memberand directing parts for positioning said tension-member about said moldseparated in lateral directions from said mold, and means forv drawingsaid tension-member taut about said mold.

9. In a hat shaping machine, the combination with a mold, of a flexibletension-member, rods extending toward said mold, said rods provided withholding means for said flexible tension-member, means for adjusting thenormal positions of' said holding means with relation to one another andto to .bring said tension-member vand said mold .l

the normal positions of said last-named said mold for adjusting thenormal direc-V tions in which said flexible tension-member extends, andmeans for drawing said flexible tension-member taut about said mold.

10. In a hat shaping machine,the combination with a mold, of a flexibletensionmember, spring-rods extending to-ward said mold, said rodsprovided with holding means for said flexible tension-member, means foradjusting the normal positions of said'rods with relation to one anotherand to said mold for adjusting the normal directions in which saidflexible tension-member extends, means for causing movement between saidholding means and said mold for locating said tension-member within andoutside of the lateral projection of said mold, and means for drawingsaid tensionmember taut about said mold. 11. In a hat shaping machine,the comblnation with a mold, of a movable frame comprising a head, rodsadjustably mounted on said head, a flexible tension-member supported bysaid rods, means for moving said movable frame toward and from saidmold, means for adjusting said head on said movable frame forcollectively adjusting said rods, and means for drawing ,said flexibletension-member taut about said mold.

12. In a hat shaping machine, the combil.

nation of' a main frame comprising a table adapted to support a mold, aslide-frame mounted on said main frame, a flexible tension-memberadjustably supported on said slide-frame, means for moving saidslideframe for locating said tension-member within and out of range of amold supported kby said jtable, and means for drawing said flexibletension-member taut about said mold comprising operating stretchesextending laterally above said table from said flexible tension-member'toward the sides of said slide-frame, downwardly past the sides yofV'said table and laterally under said table and slide-frame, a flexibletension-member supported thereby, and means for drawing saidtension-member taut about the mold on said mold-support comprisingsupporting parts removably secured to said slide-frame.

14. In a hat shaping machine, the combination with a mold-support, of aflexible tension-member arranged to be received about a mold on saidmold-support, means for `adjusting the normal position of"I saidflexible tension-member comprising aA head, rods adjustable laterallyand axially thereon, supporting means on said rods for said flexibletension-member, V`Vand means for drawing said tension-member taut.

15. In a hat shaping machine, the combination with a mold-support, of a.flexible tension-member arranged to be received about a mold on saidmold-support, means for adjusting the normal position of said flexibletension-member comprising a head, rods adjustable laterally and axiallythereon, supporting means on said rods for said flexible tension-member,and means for drawing said tension-member taut, said lastnamed meanscomprising a pair of directing parts located respectively at the sidesof'l said collective rods, and means for adjusting said pair of parts upand down and rforwardly and rearwardly with relation to said rods.

` 16. In a hat shaping machine, the combi- Vnation with Va main vframeand a mold-sup,- Yport therein, of a slide-frame slidable on said mainframe, a head thereon, rods adjustable laterally and axially (thereon,.1. flexible tension-member supported by said rods,y and means fordrawing said tensionmember taut comprising a pair of directing memberslocated above said table respectively at vthe sides of said collectiverods,

means'for adjusting the latter up and down and forwardly and rearwardlywith relation to said rods, and directing parts under said table, saiddirecting parts being mounted on and movable with said slide-frame.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

n SAMUEL K. DAVIES. fitnesses CCLEMAN AVERY, THERESA M. SILBER.

opies of this patent may be obtanedlfor''ve `vcents "each,` byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. 'DI C.

